BIO

Determination, diligence, patience, and sheer music production ingenuity is what put Michael "Banger" Cadahia on the map. After over a decade of sitting behind the boards for countless sessions, he now stands as a legend in the world of hip-hop with a Grammy and various multi-platinum plaques to his name. Mike Banger has excelled to be one of the industry’s most innovative producers, recording engineers, and mixers of his era. When he’s not in the studio, Banger is an active advocate of South FL skateboarding and graffiti.

Banger started in his early teen years behind a drum set playing for punk rock, hardcore, and hip hop bands in Miami FL. He also freestyled with rap crews in cyphers and gained quite a comically energetic reputation. Mike was known as MC Bzerk in Miami’s underground Jungle/Drum N Bass scene, often snatching microphones after sneaking behind dj booths.

Being a drummer made him a natural on the MPC and micing up drum sets gave him an advantage when stepping into engineering. In his teens, he invested in drum machines, keyboards, and recording software. He taught himself how to produce, mix, and record while meticulously studying manuals as he experimented with each piece of equipment. Mike’s bedroom in his moms house was the go-to spot for local recordings.

Before graduating high school, Mike landed his first internship at a local South Florida studio, Audacity Recordings. Within a year, despite not having a formal recording education, he became their Head Engineer working on corporate commercial projects. There he produced the song for University of Miami’s “All About The U” advertisement campaign. Additionally, he co-produced, mixed, and was featured on a song for the latin star Thalia. He also did voice-over sessions with actors Tara Reid and Matt Damon. He credits Audacity’s owner John Martyn for the piano chord and scale knowledge he was taught, which catapulted his production skills.

Although commercial projects kept him busy, it wasn’t enough. In 2005 he began interning nights at Poe Boy Entertainment and then landed yet another internship working weekends at Studio Center Miami. That’s 3 studios at once. He spent the next few years working heavily on projects closely with the then not so known Jacki-O, Rick Ross, Gun Play, The Carol City Cartel, and Brisco. At Studio Center he produced songs for Curren$y, Lumidee, and The D.E.Y.

He met Lil Wayne while cleaning and doing studio runs during Tha Carter sessions at Studio Center; eventually becoming Wayne’s exclusive recording engineer/producer. Banger was immediately introduced into the freshly emerging Young Money. His increasingly busy schedule consisted of back-to-back recording sessions across the country during the highest grossing hip hop tour ever at the time. He’s enjoyed recording sessions with Kanye West, Will.I.Am., and even recorded with Dr. Dre for the unreleased Detox album.

His first major song mix “Right Above It” featuring Drake, topped the charts without any listening approval. Mike Banger arranged and mixed Lil Wayne’s album “I Am Not A Human Being” by himself in its entirety while Wayne was incarcerated. He recorded Lil Wayne over the phone for Drake’s “Light Up”. One song specifically “YM Banger”, named after Mike, was produced, recorded, and mixed all by Banger himself; showcasing his one man band capabilities. He’s been so immersed in the studio at times, that Nicki Minaj referenced his sideburns on the song “Bed Rock” when he desperately needed a haircut.

Aside from his technical skills and a cutting edge sonic approach, Mike is valued for his psychic-like intuition in creative atmospheres. This quality of his makes him an indispensable extension of the artist’s mind. He once unintentionally engineered an entire recording session for an A-list artist at a world class facility without speaking a single word; needing no guidance or feedback throughout the entire night. We know this is true because his assistant discovered the talkback button was broken after the session. Banger didn’t even notice.

Iconic to say the least, Mike Banger is undoubtably a major force in South Florida’s recording community. Influencing more than just an obvious sound, career path, or workflow; his lifestyle has left behind bread crumbs in almost every studio he’s ever stepped foot in. Especially those with skate ramps built on premises.

Responsible, patient, and respectful; Mike Banger ensures a comfortable recording environment where the artist’s privacy is prioritized for ideas to come to life seamlessly. Banger himself is known to eject anyone violating his clients personal boundaries. He has never asked for a picture with a celebrity, making them feel enough at home to work in the nude if they wish.

As a record producer, Banger’s extensive network of other great engineers, musicians, writers, beat makers, and studios bring the best out of any artist. He knows when to step aside to let greatness happen while staying within the budget and meeting deadlines.

Nowadays, when he’s not booked, he’s remained secluded while creating out of his own private studio in South Florida. After a decade of servicing superstar clients from behind the scenes, one might ask, “What’s next?”. Follow Banger for the drop.